Welcome to the words and teachings of a birth apostle. My mission is a simple one: to change the world.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Must Read

You must read Navelgazing Midwife's post on her response to the updated ACOG statement against homebirth. It's a marvelous read. She lays out 11 suggestions for MDs for wooing women back to hospital birth. I love her suggestions. It also made me realize that if OBs are fighting this hard, they must see homebirth as a real threat (not to public safety as they claim, but to their political status). The victory in Missouri also reminds me that Goliath doesn't win every battle. Am I feeling the beginnings of a shift in attitude about birth that I've long waited for, or is it just last night's burrito testing my intestinal fortitude?

1 comment:

Thank you so much for referring folks to my post. I really am proud of it. I hope, though, that it reaches those that need to hear it, not just the choir that reads it now.

I feel a shift, but it isn't all positive. The resolution is a baby step in the physicians' arsenal to medicalize birth and terrify women.

I can see a medical/birth show put on by ACOG that demonstrates the plethora of unprovoked complications. They will have to include women on drugs, teen moms, women in their late 40's (and beyond)... and all sorts of unsual situations they can play up to the hilt.

I think change is here... and we need to be proactive more than defensive.

Stat Counter

Teacher, Storyteller, and Birth Activist

The Mission

LaborPayne has a masters in nursing education and works as a nursing instructor teaching maternal infant health. She is a lactation consultant candidate and a CNM (certified nurse midwife)student at Kansas University. Upon completion of her midwifery studies, she plans to pursue a MPH/PhD dual degree. She has been a doula and childbirth educator for 20 years, a nurse for 12 years, worked labor and delivery for 8 years, and has taught for 3 1/2 years. She owns Perinatal ReSource an education, training and consulting firm, and The CPR Lady, a safety training firm. In addition to authoring this blog, she is an editor for Clinical Lactation Journal, and sits on the board of CIMS, Coalition to Improve Maternity Services. She also sits on her local FIMR Board (fetal infant mortality review) as well as her city and state breastfeeding committees. She presents nationally on perinatal issues. Her career goals include decreasing perinatal morbidity and increasing lactation rates in the African American community through published investigative research and application of evidence based clinical practice. She also has plans to open a community based birth center in the urban core.